Amazing Italy:
Visiting St. Basilio's Church with Maria Cristina Buoso
by
Maria Teresa De Donato
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Dear friends, today we
continue to travel in our Amazing Italy with
my dear friend and colleague Maria Cristina, Author and Blogger.
Maria Cristina participated very actively, together with other colleagues and
friends, in this column of mine, and I invite you all to read the other
articles to be inspired by the various locations that have been presented as
well as by the highly appreciated recipes that you can enjoy by visiting
especially her territory.
Having said this, I wish
you all a good read!
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MTDD: Hi
Maria Cristina, and welcome again to my blog and virtual cultural salon.
MCB: Thanks
to you, Maria Teresa, for hosting me again.
MTDD:
Where are you taking us today? Shall we continue our trip to Veneto?
MCB: Yes,
today we are going to the municipality of Ariano nel Polesine, the southernmost
municipality in the Veneto region. It is part of the Po Delta Veneto Regional
Park and the Po Delta Interregional Park.
MTDD: Will
you going to tell us about its naturalistic beauties then...?
MCB: Not precisely
because in a small village called San Basilio, we find a small church with
simple Romanesque architecture, which was built in the 9th century by the
Benedictines of Pomposa in the same place as a previous structure, presumably
built between the 4th and 5th centuries, and a place of worship of the oldest
Christian community born in Polesine.
MTDD:
Very interesting! Has this church undergone more recent restorations?
MCB: Yes,
at the end of the 20th century, a conservative restoration was carried out,
which restored the medieval appearance of the structure.
MTDD:
Why is this small church so important?
MCB:
Because it is unique in the entire Polesine area, it is officiated and can be
visited; it presents some fascinating historical and traditional curiosities
linked to the sarcophagus located in its churchyard and to an ancient marble
column, placed in a niche next to the apse cited in some
historical-ecclesiastical documents as miraculous. Legend has it that the
remains of the French paladins who built the oratory are preserved inside. In
the 9th century, the soldiers of Pepin, son of Charlemagne, passed through San
Basilio during the war against the Venetians.
In San Basilio, the Oak
was famous for Dante's oak, better known as Rovra di San Basilio.
MTDD:
Why is this oak famous?
MCB:
Because it was a centuries-old tree on the left bank of the Po di Goro. A
centuries-old English oak (Quercus robur), estimated at least 500 years old, is
the oldest tree in the entire Polesine area, a natural monument. Twenty-six
meters high with a trunk six meters in diameter. Unfortunately, on the night
between 24 and 25 June 2013, the "Rovra" collapsed, leaving a space
on the horizon. It was a point of reference for those who passed by and stopped
to say hello because they ended their visit with the oak tree every time
someone passed through San Basilio after visiting the cultural tourist center,
the church, and the excavations.
It is said that Dante,
returning to Ravenna from Venice, climbed a tall oak to find his way back and
thus saw the bell tower of the Abbey of Pomposa; even Napoleon Bonaparte
admired it when he passed through these parts.
It is a small hamlet with
many curiosities and beautiful things to see, such as the 'homonymous museum.'
Anyone wishing to learn
more about this topic is invited to visit the following links:
https://www.museionline.info/musei/museo-archeologico-di-san-basilio
https://www.museionline.info/tipologie-museo/chiesa-di-san-basilio-ariano-nel-polesine
https://www.watermuseumofvenice.com/network/rete-delta-po/museo-di-san-basilio-e-chiesetta-romanica/
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiesa_di_San_Basilio_(Ariano_nel_Polesine)
https://www.facebook.com/centroturisticoculturalesanbasilio/
https://adria.italiani.it/scopricitta/la-quercia-di-dante-la-rovra-di-san-basilio/
MTDD:
Thanks again for all the information you have provided.
Have
you prepared a unique recipe for our readers today, too?
MCB: Of
course! Today I propose Venetian Polenta concia
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Recipe
Venetian
tanned polenta
This recipe also has
many variations. Polenta is cooked with butter and cheese, and the latter can
be the typical one of the area or the one we like best. Once upon a time, we
used what we had or what was left over.
Each area in the Veneto
has its own specialty. The most used are Asiago DOP and Montasio DOP, which
make polenta irresistibly inviting with their intense and slightly seasoned
flavor.
First, put the pan with
water on the heat to make the polenta (by now, you should know how to do it 😉 ). If
you prefer the instant version, follow the instructions on the package.
Ingredients
300 g of corn flour (alternatively the instant
one)
1.2 l of water;
100 g of Asiago DOP;
100 g of Montasio DOP;
100 g of soft butter;
150g of speck (variation to add if you like)
One leek or onion
Salt to taste.
Preparation
Pour the water into a
large steel saucepan. Please wait for it to boil, add a pinch of acceptable
salt, and pour the corn flour. Continue cooking over low heat for about 45
minutes, stirring the polenta continuously with the appropriate stick or a
steel whisk so that no lumps form or it sticks to the bottom.
When almost cooked, add
the Asiago, Montasio, and butter cut into cubes to the polenta and mix gently
so that they melt evenly.
Cut the leek into thin
slices and fry it for a few minutes with a knob of butter in a non-stick pan.
As soon as it is slightly wilted, add the speck and let it brown over high heat
for two minutes; add it to the polenta, mix again, and transfer it to a rustic
terracotta pan. Otherwise, it is OK to bring it to the table. Just like that,
it must remain warm. Serve the Venetian polenta concia still hot if you want to
overdo it, or some roasted sausage and a fresh salad.
Enjoy your meal!
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